Wolf Man director Leigh Whannell hopes his new movie has a lasting impression on audiences.
Universal Pictures’ plan for a shared cinematic franchise of Universal Monsters called the Dark Universe fizzled out after the terrible performance 2017 Tom Cruise film The Mummy. Since then, the franchise has shifted gears towards more standalone ventures, such as Renfield, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, and Abigail. One of their most significant financial and critical successes was The Invisible Man, back in 2020.
That film grossed $144.5 million against a $7 million budget, which likely played a small role in Blumhouse bringing Whannell back for another Universal Monsters adaptation: Wolf Man.
Whannell attended BlumFest at New York Comic Con 2024 to promote his upcoming movie. ComingSoon asked him about what to expect.
How will Wolf Man impact audiences?
“I hope that they love it,” Whannell says. “I hope they’re scared. I hope that they’re emotional about it. So, I want it to be a tragedy. I want it to be emotional. I also want it to scare the shit out of them. You know, I want people to see it in theaters.”
Whannell spoke about the importance of creating a cinematic experience wholly unique to movie theaters. “How do you get people into theaters?” Whannell asks. “You know, how do you turn something into a phenomenon? You know, like, it’s tough. It’s tough to make a Top Gun or a Barbie, you know, these, these movies that really get moviegoers into theaters. It’s getting to be a smaller target than ever. So I really hope Wolf Man connects on that level.”
“Family man Blake relocates from San Francisco to Oregon with his workaholic wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger after inheriting his childhood home, left vacant following his estranged father’s mysterious disappearance and presumed death,” reads the official synopsis. “At the farmhouse, the family is attacked by a werewolf that claws Blake’s arm. They barricade themselves inside the home, but soon Blake begins to transform, jeopardizing the safety of his wife and daughter.”
Wolf Man arrives in theaters on January 17, 2025.
